March 5, 2008

Site Selection Ranks Tennessee Third Nationally for Economic Development

Tennessee has claimed a top honor in the 2007 Site Selection Governor's Cup rankings, a 30-year tradition published by the magazine to honor states with the most new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by Conway Data Inc.'s New Plant Database. Tennessee placed third with 293 corporate location projects.

"This is good news for Tennessee, and confirms that our state continues to build on its reputation as one of the most business-friendly states in the country," Governor Phil Bredesen said . "Site Selection's Governor's Cup rankings reflect Tennessee's commitment to driving economic growth and developing a world class workforce through education and training."

The survey also ranked metro areas, broken down into four categories by size, based on their number of job creation projects. Tennessee had four cities on the top 10 metro lists, more than any other state. Nashville-Murfreesboro ranked sixth for metro areas of more than 1 million, Knoxville ranked 10th for metros between 200,000 and 1 million and in the 50,000-200,000 metro category, Morristown ranked second and Johnson City ranked fourth.

 "From Governor Bredesen's first day in office, the creation of higher skilled, better paying jobs has been a priority for us," said Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. "Seeing smaller cities like Morristown and Johnson City excel on a national platform demonstrates our priorities are in the right place: collaborating and developing partnerships with local communities and focusing on rural job creation."

The tallies are based on expansion or relocation projects that meet at least one of three standards: a capital investment of at least $1 million, creation of at least 50 new jobs or creation of at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area. Only corporate projects are considered, meaning the magazine does not track retail or government projects, hospitals or schools.

"Tennessee's third-place finish in our Top 10 ranking means the state's economic development strategy is not only sound, but quite effective in attracting corporate investment," Mark Arend, editor-in-chief of Site Selection said. "A significant number of companies - nearly 300 - have found the factors they need in Tennessee with which to grow their operations."

Site Selection, published by Conway Data, is the oldest publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field and the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council. Many corporate real estate analysts regard the magazine's rankings as "the industry scoreboard." Site Selection's circulation, 44,000 strong, consists of executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.

To read more and see the complete Governor's Cup rankings, visit Site Selection's Web site, www.siteselection.com.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development works routinely with and existing businesses to locate and expand their presence in the state.  For more information, visit www.tnecd.gov.

U.S. Tank and Cryogenics Opens its Doors

City, County and State Officials came to celebrate the official opening of U.S. Tank and Cryogenics in the Lewisburg Business Park on Monday. Photo by Greg Lowe.

City, County and State officials came together in Lewisburg Monday to tour the new U.S. Tank and Cryogenics facility, located in the Lewisburg Business Park on Mooresville Highway. The 500,000 square foot building represents a $2.4 million investment that will create 75 new jobs for the community.

Jim Brown, chairman and CEO of U.S. Tank and Cryogenics, officially opened the doors to the facility during a ceremony on Monday with a plaque dedication and a tour. The company is the first facility to be in operation at the Lewisburg Business Park and applications for employment are currently being accepted.

U.S. Tank and Cryogenics refurbishes tanks used to store liquid forms of gases. The company can refurbish tanks from 40 liters in size to those the size of a railroad car. Currently, U.S. Tank and Cryogenics refurbishes between 700-800 tanks each month but the business is growing and soon the company expects to be refurbishing up to 1,800 units each month. Brown is even considering constructing another building next to the current facility in the Lewisburg Business Park to accommodate expected growth in his industry.

U.S. Tank and Cryogenics services tanks for over 100 companies nationwide and is currently in talks with more companies, including one of the largest distributors of CO2 in the world.

Brown, a native of Columbia, began his business in his garage by designing and constructing a vacuuming machine, a key component in tank refurbishing. From that one piece of machinery, Brown grew his tank refurbishing business into a huge success with a 40,000 sq ft. facility in Bradenton, Fla. When Brown decided to relocate, he chose Lewisburg, Tenn. as the place for he and his family to call home. His two sons are also involved in the business.

The opening of the facility is the first step toward completing the vision the City of Lewisburg and the Industrial Development Board has for the Lewisburg Business Park. The Business Park, which sits just off I-65, is a prime location for industries and businesses looking to locate in Lewisburg.

Eastman Bags Trade and Industry CiCi Award

Trade & Industry Development magazine, a leading information source for executives in the fields of site selection, real estate, corporate growth strategies and industry consultation, has announced its third-annual, prestigious "Corporate Investment & Community Impact Awards." The CiCi Awards are coveted by industry participants due to the Awards' unbiased recognition by the magazine of the participants' factually verified site deals during the previous year that are unparalleled in either monetary amounts or impacts on the communities in which they have located their new endeavors. Eastman Chemical is the winner of a Community Impact Award for "Project Reinvest," a commitment to invest $1.3 billion in Kingsport, Tenn. over the next 5 years.

According to the magazine's editors, approximately 1,000 entrants are honed down to 31 finalists in two categories: Corporate Investment and Community Impact. This dual-awards program is unique in that it not only highlights the largest corporate projects in monetary infusions into chosen locations, but also recognizes the projects that made the most notable impact on communities, which may not always involve the largest investments. Impact Awards criteria take into consideration the number of new jobs created, number of current jobs retained and how the project affected the community.

The 31 recipients of the 2008 Corporate Investment & Community Impact Awards helped create 24,693 new jobs and retain 22,213 jobs. They also represent investments of $16.1 billion. (This data is provided by respondents and includes estimations of future growth.)

Details of the CiCi Awards are announced in Trade & Industry Development's March/April 2008 issue. Please visit www.TradeandIndustryDev.com for more information. You can view the issue online in a user-friendly digital format as well as in its print format.

 

Marion County is home to the Children's Holocaust Memorial at Whitwell Middle School.
In 1998, eighth graders at the school began an after-school study of the Holocaust. The students began collecting paper clips, which Norwegians wore on their lapels as a silent protest against Nazi occupation in WWII. The memorial contains 11 million paper clips housed in an authentic German transport car, honoring the lives of all the people who were murdered by the Nazis.

Source:
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association

 

March 5
Nashville
Commissioner Kisber spoke to the WestStar Leadership Group at 8:30 a.m.

March 6
Nashville
Commissioner Kisber will attend the Senate Commerce Subcommittee budget hearing at 11 a.m.

March 7
Sevier County
Commissioner Kisber will attend a corporate announcement at 2 p.m.


March 10
Nashville
Commissioner Kisber will attend a TEP Board meeting at 12 p.m.

March 12
Shelbyville
Commissioner Kisber will speak to Leadership Bedford County at 9:30 a.m.

To request ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber to speak or attend an event, please contact Jennifer Alward at (615) 253-1852 or jennifer.alward@state.tn.us

We invite your thoughts on the ECD Hot Sheet. Please click here to contact ECD Communications with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have.

Business Development

BERO

 

BERO To Co-Sponsor SBA Loan Workshop

BERO, the Business Enterprise Resource Office of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development will co-sponsor an SBA loan workshop with SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business.

This loan workshop will instruct business owners in the step-by-step process of applying for an SBA Community Express Loan, which range from $5,000 to $25,000.

WHAT: Community Express Loan Workshop
WHEN: Thursday, March 20
Morning Session: 10-11:30 a.m.
Afternoon Session: 2-3:30 p.m.
WHERE: 2200 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. (was Metro Center Blvd.),
Nashville, Tenn.
WHO: Full- and part-time businesses are eligible for the loan

Reservations are not required. For more information, click here or contact SCORE at (615) 736-7621

West Tennessee Veterans and Small Business Conference Offered in Millington

The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services - Procurement Technical Assistance Center and honorary co-hosts Congressman John Tanner and Congressman Steve Cohen will present the West Tennessee Veterans Small Business Conference March 31 - April 1 in Millington. 

Special emphasis will be placed on "Celebrating our Veterans." As troops return home from service, they will enter the business community, and veterans attending the conference will learn about programs designed to make their return to business easier.

Other small businesses and industries will have opportunities to learn more about expanding their current markets through selling to the government.

WHAT: West Tennessee Veterans and Small Business Conference
WHEN: Monday, March 31 - Tuesday, April 1
WHERE: Pat Thompson Conference Center, 5700 Attu Street, Millington, Tenn.
WHO: Community leaders and organizations; economic development professionals; all businesses, including veteran-owned, service and manufacturing
HOW: Please click here for more information and to register  

Community Development

Local Planning

ECD and UT Team Up to Offer Training

ECD's Local Planning Office is teaming up with the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service to offer "Subdivision Regulations and Infrastructure," a course that is part of the Planning and Zoning Training Program for municipal officials and staffs. Local planning will offer seven four-hour sessions throughout the state beginning this week. State Local Planning Director Tim Roach and local regional planning office directors will teach the courses. Registration is online here. For more information, contact Tim Roach at (615) 741-2211 or tim.roach@state.tn.us.

Class schedule (all classes begin at 8:30 a.m.):
March 4, Bartlett
March 5, Jackson
March 18, Knoxville
March 19, Johnson City
March 27, Franklin
March 28, Cookeville
March 31, Collegedale

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Grants and Loans

TN Development Professional Honored

Susan Reid, executive director of the First Tennessee Development District, received the John D. Whisman Vision Award at the Development District Association of Appalachia Conference in Washington D.C. last week. The award honors outstanding service and leadership in Appalachia. Assistant Commissioner Rick Meredith and Community Development Director of Grants and Loans Paula Lovett also attended the conference last week.

The Development District Association of Appalachia is a non-profit organization of local development districts within the 13-state area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Left to right: Community Development Director of Grants and Loans Paula Lovett, John D. Whisman Vision Award Winner Susan Reid, Community Development Assistant Commissioner Rick Meredith and ARC Executive Director Tom Hunter.

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Three-Star

Three-Star Receives Award from TNCPE

Mike McWhorter, right, presents ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber with an award for the Three-Star Program from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.

ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber and Community Development Assistant Commissioner Rick Meredith recently accepted a Level One Interest Recognition Award from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence on behalf of the Tennessee Three-Star Program.

The award signifies a thorough organizational evaluation by the TNCPE based on criteria drawn from the Baldrige Method. Three-Star received comprehensive feedback and strategic suggestions along with its Level One award.

Several Tennessee Counties also received Level One Awards at the Recognition Banquet: Bedford, Bradley, Henry, Macon, Marion and Obion.